asacol not working? couple of questions

I started taking asacol and it helped my some but didn't get rid of my flare so the doctor put me on entocort which got rid of the flare for about 20 days. I was perfect. Then out of nowhere I started having symptoms again. So the doc switched me to predisone which again got rid of the flare( and increased asacol). I am down to 25 mg switching to 20mg on Tuesday. I started having symptoms again yesteday which might have something to do with a couple glasses of wine on Friday night, but I'm still have blood and mucus and going every hour or two in the morning.(it settles down by afternoon.) I plan on waiting untill tommorow but then should I call the doctor again or should I wait longer? I have to start school back on tuesday...
What is my problem? I'm starting to think maybe the asacol is not as effective for me. Does anyone have advise on what to request from the doctor. Should I ask for another maintenance drug? I don't want my symptoms to get even worse.
I also have another question. I lost my colon pictures from the scope but if I recall I have it in patches over my whole colon except my rectum. The doctor did biopsys and said it was UC not crohns and he did check in my small intestine which had no inflammation. Is there a chance I could have crohns still and not UC? He said it was a mild case but it just seems different from what I have read/seem on this site.

Hi hana,
there are some ppl whom have both Crohn's and Colitis. I myself have Crohn's. You can also post the same queston on the Crohn's forum.

teddybearweiser said...
Hi hana,
there are some ppl whom have both Crohn's and Colitis. I myself have Crohn's. You can also post the same queston on the Crohn's forum.

That would be Crohn's colitis...but it's still Crohn's (in the colon).

 

Does anyone else have any suggestions? I stayed at 25 mg of prednisone and my symtoms seem to have calmed down but I am still going 5-6 times a day. I called the doctor and am waiting for a call back. I was thinking to ask to extended my tapers to 7 days and maybe up to 12 asacol. Has anyone been in a similar situation? I am scared to switch medicine as I started school today and I don't think I can go if it gets any worse. I did get through 4 hrs straight today without a bathroom. That really made by day!!

Some people don't react well to Asacol. Interestingly enough, it can actually increase symptoms in some people. Side effects listed on WebMD:

Headache, vomiting, nausea, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, diarrhea, or gas may occur. If any of these effects persist or worsen, tell your doctor or pharmacist promptly.

It's worthwhile to try a different ASA. I was switched from Asacol to the older drug, Azulfadine (Sulfasalazine), and have done really well on it. Keep in mind when you're really ill, it can take a while for the colon to heal, no matter what route you go. It took me over two years of trial and error with meds, diet, probiotics and other supplements to figure out what worked for me.

Regarding your diagnosis, after years of thinking I had UC, my diagnosis was in question recently. After some expensive blood tests, it was decided I probably DO have UC, yet I have "thickening of the bowel wall" on the right side, which is not typical of UC. So, cases are not always clear cut.